Apparatus for enriching air



June 10, 1941. I J. G. M, BULLOWA ETAL 2,244,659 7 APPARATUS FORENRICHING AIR Filed May 25. 1939 linncntors attorney Patented June 10,1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- ArrAaA'rus Fon mn'rcnmo' AIR;

Jesse G. M. Bullowa, New York, and Herman D.

Ratish, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application May 23, 1939, Serial N0. 275,211

lGClaims- This invention relates to apparatusv for evaporating liquidoxygen and supplying the vapor to the surrounding air for the purpose ofenriching the oxygen content of the air in a truck airplane,

orother vehicle, or any cabin or enclosure where such added oxygen isdesirable for breathing.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved apparatus forproducing oxygen vapor by the evaporation of liquid oxygen. Morespeciflcally, an object of the invention is to obtain improved controlof the rate of evaporation and volume of oxygen vapor supplied by theapparatus. j

One feature of the invention relates to variation in the surface area ofthe liquid for controlling the rate of evaporation, and the preferred embodiment of the invention includes, in combination with the surfacevariation, a control of the volume of air that passes into contact withthe liquid surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide oxygen evaporatingapparatus of simple and inexpensive construction whichcan be tipped oreven inverted without spilling any of the liquid contents.

Other objects, features andadvantages of the invention will appear or bepointed out as the specification proceeds.

The drawing is a vertical sectional view through an oxygen evaporatorembodying the invention,

with the auxiliary equipment shown diagrammatically.

h A spherical vessel 3 comprising an outer shell 3, and inner shell [3,has necks H and I2 at the upper and lower poles, respectively, of theouter shell. The vessel is supported for rotation about its polar axisby a bearing l4 that surrounds the upper neck -I i, and a frusto-conicalhearing I! on whichthelower neck l 2. rests. Thebearings l4 and Y 40flexible shaft 40 and reduction gearing 4|. The

I! are carried by brackets l1 and I3, respectively. and these bracketsare connected to a wall or bulkhead l3.

The shells 3 and 10 are preferably metal, and

there isa thick layer of heat insulating material 23 between theseshells to prevent any substantial quantity of heat from reaching theinterior of the vessel and causing evaporation ofthe liquid oxygen whenthe apparatus is not in use.

An air inlet 2| in the-inner shell is in alinement V with a passageway22 in the upper neck H of the vessel. Air and oxygen vapor flow from thevessel through a discharge pipe or tubing 23, which includes a spiralsection surrounding the outside shell 3. The spiral tubing 23 is made ofmetal and is a good conductor of heat. The lower end of 55 5 The liquidoxygen in the spherical vessel is in-' dicated by the referencecharacter 25. The liquid is initially poured into the vessel through afillin port 23. The vaporization and delivery of the oxygen is atsubstantially atmospheric pressure,

and the delivery pipe or tubing 23 is at. all times open to theatmosphere; but the vessel 3 has a relief valve 21 forprotection in casethe tubing 23 is obstructed or mashed so that vapor can no longer escapethrough the delivery tubing as rapidly as the vapor is evolved in thevessel 3.

A swing check-valve 30 is hinged to the inner shell 3 adjacent the innerend of, the air inlet 2| in position to close and block the outflow ofliquid oxygen in the event that the vessel becomes'inverted, assometimes occurs in airplane use when the airplane files through avertical loop.

Air is supplied to the vessel 3'by a blower 32 driven by an electricmotor 33. A pipe 34 leads from the delivery outlet of the blower 32 to astufling-box 35 into which the upper end of the neck ll'extends. Thereduced upper end of the neck I I .isfree to rotate in the stumng-box'35 but the packing prevents air from escaping around the outside of theneck II and causes the air from the pipe 34 to flow through thepassageway 22 and into the spherical vessel 3. The supply of air fromthe blower can be controlled by a valve or damper 36 in the pipe 34.

The spherical vessel3 is rotated by a driving shaft 33 that turns in abearing in the end of the bracket l8, which bearing is coaxial with thefrusto-conical bearing IS. The shaft 33 is connected with an electricmotor 33 through motion transmitting means, shown in the drawing as a Inthe operation of the apparatus,- air is supplied through the passageway22. by the blower 32, and the rate of air flow is controlled by thevalve or damper 36. When the spherical vessel 3 is stationary,the-surface of the liquid oxygen is level, but when the vessel isrotated about its substantially vertical axis. the surface -01: the

liquid becomes concave and increases in area.

As the speed of rotation of the spherical vessel increases, theconcavity of the liquid. surface increases, with resulting increase insurface area.

If the speed of rotation is carried high enough, all of the liquidoxygen will be held against the sides of the vessel by centrifugal forceso that the body of oxygen is in the form of an annulus.

The tubing 23 forms a right-hand spiral around the vessel 8, and thevessel is preferably rotated to the right (as viewed from the top). Whenthe axis of rotation is at a substantial angleto the vertical, anyliquid that splashes into the discharge pipe 23 will tend to drain backinto the vessel 8 with the vessel and spiral rotating in this direction.The rotation of the spherical vessel causes agitation of the liquidoxygen, especially when the axis of rotation is on a'slope. This.

agitation generates heat and further increases the area of contact withthe air; and 'both of these phenomena, promote ebullition of the-liquidoxygen.

One embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, butchanges and modifications may be made without departing from theinvention as defined in the claims.

We claim:'

1. A liquid oxygen vaporizer comprising a container, bearings supportingsaid container for speed control means located on the dash-board of thevehicle within reach of the driver of the vehicle.

7. A vaporizer for liquid oxygen including a vessel for enclosing aquantity of liquid oxygen, heat insulating material around the vesselfor preventing substantial heat flow into the vessel when the vaporizeris not in use, means including an electric motor for rotating the vesselto cause vaporizing of the liquid, and apparatus that regulates themotor speed to control the rate of vaporization of the liquid oxygen.

8. The combination of 'a container for liquid oxygen with separateconduits for the entrance of air and the discharge of the air-oxygenmixture, mean's including a motor for rotating the container to increasethe surface area of the liquid oxygen, apparatus for supplying a currentrotation about a substantially vertical axis, means for rotating thecontainer about said axis to augment the. rate of evaporation of theliquid oxygen within the container, and a gas delivery outlet throughwhich gas is supplied from the container while rotating'about saidvertical axis.

2. A vaporizer for liquid oxygen including a. vessel for enclosing aquantity of liquid oxygen, heat insulating material around the vesselfor preventing substantial heat flow into the vessel when the vaporizeris not in use, hearings on which the vessel is rotatably supported, andmeans for imparting a continuing rotation to said vessel to stimulateevaporation of the liquid oxygen.

3. A liquid oxygen evaporator comprising a closed vessel in which theliquid oxygen is contained, bearings in which the vessel is rotatableabout an upwardly extending axis to increase the liquid oxygen surfaceexposed to the air, said vesselhaving a passage for the entrance of air,and an outlet through which air and oxygen vapor flow out of said vesselwhen the vessel is rotating about said upwardly extending axis, andapparatus for supplying a stream of air throughsaid passage. e

4. A liquid oxygen evaporator comprising a container for the oxygen,means for rotating the container to augment evaporation, and apparatusfor controlling the speed of rotation to regulate the rate at whichvapor is evolved.

5. A liquid oxygen vaporizer including a liquid container with separateconduits for the entrance of air and the discharge of the air-oxygenmixture, bearings in which the container is rotatable to increase thesurface of liquid exposed to the air, a variable speed motor, motiontransmitting connections through which the motor rotates the liquidcontainer, and means for regulating the of air into the container andinto contact with the surface of the liquid oxygen, and a deviceassociated with the air supply apparatus for controlling the volume ofair supplied to the container. p

9. The combination of a container for liquid oxygen with separateconduits for the entrance of air and the discharge of the air-oxygenmixture, hearings in which the container is supported and rotatableabout-a substantially vertical axis,

a variable-speed electric motor, motion transmitting connections throughwhich the motor rotates the container to increase the surface area ofthe liquid oxygen, apparatus for supplying a current of air into thecontainer and into contact with the surface of ,the liquid oxygen, and avalve or damper in the air supply apparatus for throttling the airsupply to the liquid oxygen container.

10. An oxygen evaporator comprising a substantially spherical containerwith alined necks at its top and bottom, an opening through one of thenecks communicating with the interior of the container, and bearings inwhich the necks turn, said bearings being disposed to support thecontainer for rotation about a substantially vertical axis.

11. In a liquid oxygen evaporator, a closed vessel in which the liquidoxygen is contained, necks at the top and bottom oil said vessel,supporting bearings in which the necks rotate about a substantiallyvertical axis, an air inlet opening into said vessel through the topneck, and means for rotating the vessel including a driving elementoperatively connected with the lower end of the bottom neck.

motor rotates theliquid container, and motor 13. A liquid oxygenvaporizer comprising a container and bearings in which the vesselrotates,

an air inlet passage extending axially through a member of the bearingand into the container and an outlet passage including a long length ofmetal tubing that passes around the outside of the vessel.

7 14. An air enriching apparatus comprising a closed vessel in whichliquid oxygen is contained, an outlet for the discharge of oxygen vaporfrom the vessel, a substantial length of tubing at tached to the vesseland leading from the outlet downward aroundthe outside of the vessel ina spiral, hearings in which the vessel is rotatably supported, and meansfor rotating the vessel and spiral in the direction that the oxygenmoves around the vessel when passing through the convolutions oi thetubing. a

15. An air enriching apparatus comprising a closed vessel with separateconduits for the entrance of air and the discharge of the air-oxygenmixture, a heat insulating covering on the vessel, a filling plugv whichcan be removed when additional liquid is to be poured into the vessel, asafety valve for the escape of excessive pressure, bearings supportingthe vessel and in which said vessel is rotatable about a normallyvertical axis, a variable speed motor, motion transmitting connectionsthrough which the motor rotates the vessel, remote control apparatusforregulating the motor speed, a motor-driven blower with a deliverypipe connected to the inlet conduit, valve means in the delivery conduitadjustable to regulate the rate at which air is blown into the vessel,

an outlet tubing of high heat conductivity and substantial lengthattached to the vessel over the insulating covering and extending inaspiral from the discharge conduit to a level near the bottom of thevessel, and a flaring exit on said outlet tubing.

16. An oxygen vaporizer, for enriching the atmosphere in an airplanecabin, including in combination a vessel in which liquid oxygen iscontained, and an outlet pipe for the oxygen vapor, said outlet pipebeing curved around the vessel so that a part of the outlet pipe isabove the level of the liquid oxygen no matter which way or how much thevessel is tipped, the exhaust end of said outlet pipe being at a lowlevel which is above the liquid level of the oxygen when the-vessel isinverted.

JESSE G. M. BULLOWA.

l-ERMAN D. RATISH.

